Chapter 48
“…….”
“…….”
Cassia and Giscard’s eyes met.
And then—
“No, Commander!”
“The Administrative Officer hasn’t laid a single finger on us!”
The knights raised their voices desperately.
‘Oh no, what do I do now?’
Even amid her flustered state, Cassia felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
The knights were now standing up for her without hesitation.
‘This is honestly… so touching?!’
Meanwhile, Giscard, who had been alternating his gaze between Cassia and the knights with a complicated expression, finally let out a deep sigh and gave a small nod.
“Right. Administrative Officer Astrid wouldn’t discipline soldiers without good reason.”
Uh, excuse me?
I appreciate the trust, but I didn’t discipline anyone?!
Cassia glared at Giscard with triangular eyes, then grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to sit down.
“Please, just have a seat first.”
Giscard, who found himself seated before he knew it, gestured toward the food spread before them.
“So, what’s all this massive amount of food?”
“The Administrative Officer is throwing us a celebration party.”
“Now that the housing quarters have been repaired and the barrier stone issue’s been resolved, it’s all kind of a joint celebration.”
The knights grew more excited and began chiming in one after another.
At the same time, Cassia turned to Giscard and spoke with a slight pout.
“Come to think of it, back when I first enlisted… you didn’t eat the snacks, did you?”
…Did I?
Giscard looked a bit sheepish.
Indeed, back then he had been completely wary of Cassia.
He must’ve refused every kind gesture she made.
Cassia spoke again, firmly this time.
“This time, don’t skip out. Eat with us.”
“She’s right, Commander!”
“Doesn’t that cake look amazing?!”
The knights looked at Giscard with eyes sparkling like stars.
Eventually, Giscard gave in with a resigned look and sat more properly in the chair.
“Alright, everyone, attention!”
Just then, Cassia, now holding a bread knife, called out energetically.
“We will now begin the cake-cutting ceremony!”
“Woooooo!”
Clap clap clap!
The knights clapped so much their palms must’ve been sore, whistling and cheering in utter excitement.
Cassia cut the cake with flawless precision—without a single misstep.
After years of reigning as the most haughty and dazzling flower of the social world, conquering all kinds of parties…
Her hands moved perfectly, as if she’d sliced celebratory cakes dozens of times before.
And then—
‘Hm?’
Giscard raised an eyebrow slightly.
It was understandable: Cassia had placed the very first plate of cake right in front of him.
“This one’s for you, Commander. You worked hard.”
Then she smiled brightly.
“I’ll even give you the chocolate decoration.”
“I don’t need tha—”
“Seriously? Are you going to keep refusing even now?”
Cassia gently scolded him without sounding mean.
“It’s the heartfelt gesture of a subordinate who wants to get along with her superior. Won’t you accept it?”
“……”
Thump.
For a moment, Giscard’s heart pulsed sharply, loudly.
‘Huh?’
An ambiguous look passed over Giscard’s face.
But Cassia was already busy moving around.
She quickly placed pieces of cake on plates and handed them out to each knight.
Giscard stared silently at the cake placed in front of him.
A soft, fluffy cake generously topped with snow-white whipped cream.
There was a large, luscious red strawberry, and even the pink heart-shaped chocolate decoration that Cassia had boasted about.
The rich scent of butter and the sweet fragrance of strawberries brushed past his nose.
Giscard hesitated for a moment,
“Please eat quickly!”
“We can’t taste it unless you, Commander, try it first!”
Unable to withstand the knights’ eager gazes, he finally picked up his fork.
Giscard cut a big piece of the cake with his fork.
The sweet cake crumbled gently in his mouth.
Cassia immediately threw a question at him.
“How is it? It’s good, right?”
“……”
Giscard, who had remained silent for a moment, smiled faintly with his eyes.
“Yes, it’s very good.”
“That’s a relief.”
Cassia nodded in satisfaction.
Giscard glanced up at her.
“What about you, Administrative Officer Astrid?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
Watching the knights excitedly enjoying the food, Cassia felt full even without eating herself.
Ah, is this what it feels like for a parent to feed a snack to their child?
But upon hearing her response, Giscard narrowed his eyes slightly and stood up to pull out a chair for her.
“Please have a seat.”
“Pardon? But…”
“Administrative Officer, how long are you going to keep your distance from our Order?”
Seating her, Giscard placed a fork in her hand.
“We must enjoy it together.”
“He’s right, Administrative Officer!”
“Would you like to try this chicken? It’s really good!”
“If you’re thirsty, we’ve got juice here too!”
Each knight began piling food onto plates and offering them to her.
Flustered, Cassia quickly waved her hands.
“Wait a minute, I can’t eat this much!”
Cassia, completely overwhelmed.
And the knights, smiling brightly at her.
That sight made Giscard’s smile grow a little deeper.
It was a warm smile, like spring.
NEET_Caos
Obrigada pela tradução. Que capítulo doce! 🥰